Welcome to new Online
Portal of Indian Mountaineering Foundation

Steps to Apply for an Expedition

Sign
up and Login

a. Click on the
sign up link, fill the required details and submit. b.
An email will be sent to the user for registration confirmation.
c. The user will have to click on the activation link sent in the
email to activate the account. d. After activation the
user has to login with the registered user id.

Create
Profile

To apply for the
expedition it is mandatory for the applicant to create a detailed
profile. For this the applicant has to click on the
profile management link available on home page and submit the
required details.

Create
Expedition

Before filling the
application the user/Leader has to create the expedition.
a. Click on the Expedition booking link available on home page.
b. Click on the create expedition link. c. Fill the
required details and submit. d. A unique Expedition id
will be generated.

Create
Team

For creating a team for the
expedition the Leader has to send invites to the team members.
a. Click on the Create team link on user home page. b.
For the particular expedition click on Build team link.
c. Search for the user id (to whom the invite needs to be sent)
and click send invite button.User will be intimated through
email. d. When the team needs to be finalized then click
on the Freeze team button under view team section.

Apply
for Expedition/Fill application Form

a. After the team is
finalized the Leader needs to fill the application form.
b. Click on the Fill application form link in navigation panel.
c. Click on fill application form link corresponding to the
expedition id.

TREKKING

Being a soft-adventure sport, almost anyone in reasonable physical condition can go trekking. To get initiated into trekking begin with day hikes, returning to your starting point in the evening. Move on to a multi-day trek which is relatively easy, in order to get to know your ability and aptitude. You can venture into the mountains with an experienced trekker, join an adventure club, or go with a reputed adventure travel company. It is not a good idea to venture out into the mountains alone – unless you happen to be a distant relative of the mythical Himalayan yeti (or an aspiring Reinhold Messner, the first person in the world to have climbed all fourteen 8000m peaks, including the first oxygen-less ascent and later the first solo ascent of Everest).
A basic knowledge of camp craft, map reading and first aid is essential before you go trekking. It’s a good idea to do an adventure course from one of the mountaineering/ adventure institutes in India. A basic course in mountaineering and a first-aid course are recommended if you decide to take it up more seriously and trek to remote/high-altitude areas. Get as much information about the trekking area as possible – the people, their culture, the geography, terrain, medical/rescue facilities and weather conditions – before you go.

Trekking in India

Trekking in India started when the land was inhabited in prehistoric times. There are perhaps as many trekking routes in India as there are Indians. It was in the 1970’s and 1980’s that trekking started gaining in popularity as a recreational/adventure sport. A number of religious sites and shrines across the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, and in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand – such as Badrinath, Amarnath, Gangotri, Hemkund, Joshimath, Kedarnath, Vaishno Devi and Yamunotri – entail trekking for a couple of days in the mountains. Trekking in India has grown in leaps and bounds and the current trekking scenario is very promising, with thousands of Indians and foreigners hitting trekking trails each year.
What India can boast of is some of the most stunning trekking routes in the world – many of the mountain passes in the Ladakh and Zanskar Himalayas are above 5000m. But there are plenty of gentler and smaller trails, at different altitudes, both in the mountains and in the forests. If you’re looking for less arduous hikes, you’ll find plenty in in the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Hills of south India (Munnar and Wayanad in Kerala, Coorg in Karnataka, and around Ooty in Tamil Nadu).

May/June and September/October for Garhwal, Kumaon (Uttarakhand), Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh
June/July and August/September for Ladakh and Zanskar (Jammu and Kashmir)
One can trek in the foothills of the Himalayas from October through till March

1. Hydration
2. Clothing / staying warm (‘Cover your head if your feet are cold gentlemen’ is an old English saying)
3. Packing a rucksack
4. Pacing yourself on a trek
5. Timing – ‘Start early and arrive early’ is the cardinal rule of trekking
6. Porters and guides – A guide, or guide-cum-cook, is important on routes that are remote, tougher and relatively less trodden. Porters, with the option of ponies, will come in extremely handy on longer trips, especially if you’re carrying lots of provisions.
7. Mules and horses on the trail